It was so great hearing how long you guys can hold the plank for yesterday. I feel a little behind with my puny 60 seconds. I don’t think I will ever make it to 13 minutes, but blimey imagine the abs.
For breakfast this morning I had a lovely bowl of Dorset Cereal Tasty High Fibre Muesli topped with blueberries, a chopped pear and creamed coconut.
Laura, I totally agree the 30g suggested serving size is way too small. It really wouldn’t fill the lightest of eaters. I know it definitely wouldn’t fill me, so exceeding the suggested portion is a must!
The creamed coconut came about in my attempt to make that lusted after coconut butter. I blended and blended, waited and waited to no avail. My poor food processor was on high speed for at least 10 minutes until smoke appeared and a horrible smell of burning plastic. I thought this was a sure sign for me to stop. Instead I added some water to make a smoother paste and some agave nectar to make some creamed coconut, which makes a great topping for cereal, oats, ice cream, yoghurt and smoothies…yum!
I had my spinning class this morning and like last week my normal instructor is still on holiday. Yup! Another replacement. Although this weeks instructor was much better as was her music. It was all up tempo trance music, which isn’t really my taste, but it much better than the Light House Family. She got us to climb a huge mountain for 15 minutes and sprint all the way down it-that was tough! We also did a lot of free-style work that my usual instructor doesn’t normally do. This included hovering low out of the saddle and positioning our arms in such a way to work our upper bodies. It was nice to see some more variation in the class that showcased more of the dynamic moves that you can do on the spinning bike. I followed this with 30 minutes on the cross trainer, 10 minutes on the step machine and 20 minutes on the bike.
After my workout I refueled with my soy milk with gingerbread drink and a banana. For lunch I made another quick hummus topped salad made from spinach, carrots, celery, red pepper, red cabbage, olives and my sweet potato hummus.
This was so tasty, but I only had time to eat half of it 🙁
Mid afternoon I snacked on a slice of the ginger bread that I baked last Sunday.
It was taken straight from the freezer and tasted just as good. I love freezing baked up treats soups and stews for the convenience it brings in a busy week.
Dinner tonight was made by Alfie, so I could relax after a tiring day. He made a casserole for me that contained aubergine, sweet potato, corgettes, okra, kale and peppers and a meat version for him.
The boy did good, and I went back for more! 😀
I made dessert though in my food processor that is still chugging along nicely…no smoke this time! I made some Choco, Peanut Butter and Nanna Pud.
Blitzed in a blender:
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1 thawed frozen banana
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2 tsp of cocoa powder (Green and Blacks)
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3 dates
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1 tbsp of peanut butter
Leave to chill in the fridge for an hour or if you cannot wait that long eat it straight from the food processor…yes it is that good! This is so fudgy, rich and oh so yummy!
I really do love my food processor, but it does struggle sometimes. I had to add a few tablespoons of hazelnut and almond rice milk to my Pud to help it along a little. It’s nothing special just a Kenwood combi-food processor and blender in one. You can whip up yummy treats in seconds, soups and of course epic green smoothies. I’ve seen a few alternatives on Amazon that look good. Maybe it’s time to say goodbye to my combi and upgrade her to something a little bit more special. She gets the job done, but I want to make coconut butter and nut butters without the risk of an explosion.
Do you have food processor/blender issues? Which one do you use?
I broke a hand held blender recently trying to shred brussel spouts. Boo.
I need a Vitamix.
The Vitamix looks amazing. i need me one of those too! 🙂
I need to try slicing bananas before freezing them. I tried blending a whole one split in 2 a while ago and almost broke the food processor! I hadn’t eaten all the bananas before going away for xmas so just shoved them all in the fridge whole.
I love when they do upper body stuff at spin and not just because it means fewer up hills!
I always find it that my food processor handles better when everything is chopped up in to smaller pieces…kinda like baby feeding it!
At least you were able to salvage your coconut cream thing. I don’t have a food processor but think I really could do with one; they seem to be required for so many yummy recipes.
I couldn’t live without my processor, I use it for so many different things!
13 minutes? Oh my gracious! Don’t worry, your 60 seconds is better than my 45, haha! 🙂
I know 13 minutes? Crazy right!?! 😛
Yum, all your food looks great. I’m adding your sweet potato hummus and choco/pb/banana pud to my “must make soon” list! 🙂
Thanks! The hummus is lovely and the dessert was just delicious! I will definitely be making that again!
SWEET POTATO hummus?! ohmygoodness, I MUST try. and I really want to try your puddin’! 🙂
Sweet potato and hummus…perfect combo!!!
I have an ancient blender and it struggles too. I don’t know the brand, as the text has rubbed off the base…it’s that old! I need to take bits out and stir with a spoon half the time, then put the half-mulched stuff back in for the poor thing to even make an attempt at amalgamating everything. I would sell my soul for a Vitamix 😉
Such lovely pictures, particularly your vibrant lunch 🙂 And I am craving that PB/nana/chocolate dessert too now.
xxx
The Vitamix looks amazing! I feel jealously towards anyone that has one. The dessert was definitely yummy! 🙂
That coconut cream looks really good actually!! And love the dessert! 🙂
I just bought a food processor and I love it! 😀 Much better than my old ancient blender!!
I love having a food processor. You can make an endless amount of things in them. Your dark chocolate dreams recipe looks amazing!
That dinner looks amazing – even better seeing as you had it made for you 🙂
I definitely have blender envy when I look at other blogs. Me and my housemate share a tiny kitchen, so don’t have room for a huge monstrosity – we have a teeny tiny blender that can just about cope with half a tin of chickpeas to make hummus.
Awww thats cute! At least you have something that you can whip up some yummy treats in. I know I couldn’t live without my food processor/blender now!
I really need to get a proper food processor… I have to use a hand blender for my smoothies, tofo pudding etc.!
Hand blenders are just as good though, great for soups and smoothies. 🙂
hey! 13 minute plank?!! the PAIN! i have a vitamix and it’s amazing! i saved up for ages and got it for 20% off! i’d recommend it for sure 🙂
I need me a Vitamix!!! 🙂
Sounds like you had such a great workout! That ginger bread is seriously calling my name-it looks sooo (moist-bad word, I know!) and super delicious!! Love your idea for sweet potato hummus too; those are two of my most fave things! 🙂
I love hummus and sweet potato too so when I saw a recipe for it I knew I had to make it in an instant! 🙂
That ginger bread looks fabulous, I also love having surpluses of food in the freezer, it’s so handy on a busy day!
The gingerbread is yummy! I used the recipe from the Babycakes recipe book.
I don’t think you should feel your core strength is “puny” at all. My current goal is to hold for 1 minute…or even 30 seconds! Plus it depends on form too. If I hunch my back I can hold plank for quite a while, but when I’m not looking like a vengeful frog, it’s much harder!
We’ll get there…probably not to 13 minutes for me…If I’m going to dedicate 13 minutes to one pose, I’d rather it be stretching my hips or something…that’s my excuse anyway!
Just wanted to drop by and say how much I enjoy your blog. It has encouraged to think more positively about food, and as a fellow eating-disorder recoverer, that’s very important! I wish my meals were as healthy and creative as yours…I’m working on it though! 🙂
I salute the girl that made it to 13 minutes as I struggle with 1 minute. She must have a solid core! Thanks for the lovely comments. I’m glad you are enjoying the blog, that’s made my day! 🙂
ack!! im sorry about your blender troubles!! i make coconut btuter yesterday in my food processor.. the brand is Dualit or something!
I’m jealous. I think it would have got there in the end if I had kept on going, but the sight of the smoke scared me a little!
Your coconuty butter still looks fab! I have a kenwood blender and a little food processor which I adore! I don’t think that my food processor would be up to making the coconut butter either, at least I have coconut flour to make a tasty paste instead!
My poor food processor. The smoke was a scary site, but at least I managed to salvage something from my efforts! 🙂
I hate when the blender doesn’t work for me (it’s not my fault-it’s the damn blenders!) the ice cream looks like it made up for it though!
I do! It’a a Kenwood FP with blender(tip: never ever buy cheap on something that you use daily)and it has served us well(very pleased with the trusty FP:).
I think spin classes are so dependent on the instructor – they really do make or break it sometimes!
Beautiful pictures of your salad 🙂
That pudding looks amazing 🙂
I love the idea of adding the dates for some sweetness.
I have a kenwood mini chopper, and it chops up frozen banana ok, but it is better at softer things like tofu.
I have a Magimix and it is superb! We got it for a wedding present, I don’t know how I lived without one before.
And onya for holding a plank for 60 seconds – that’s bloody good! x